Change of Heart
by Alleonh
Summary: A lone Goa'uld, hunted by the Tokra for her ruthlessness over the ages, hunted by the Goa'uld for her betrayal.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Although it is every one's fantasy to own a magical hoola-hoop that you can jump through and go to different worlds, I do not own StarGate or SG-1.

A/N: This is a fic that I have had lying around unfinished for some time. Hopefully, reviews will get my muse back from vacation (hint-hint). Plus this is my first SG-1 Fic. yay!!!

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Change of Heart

Chapter 1

Abydos- 5000 years before the fall of Ra

The man knelt on the ground. His body was rigid, his fear apparent. He watched the ground with blood shot eyes, but his shaking made it impossible to focus his vision on anything. He waited for the voice to speak, dreading the words that he knew were inevitable.

"Your god has been patient with your kind in the past; however, you have taken advantage of that kindness."

The servant raised his head slowly, but kept his eyes low. The side of his head ached furiously where the Jaffa had struck him. His vision was blurry, and tinged with darkness closing in on the edges. But he fought the darkness, even as it promised peace. Slowly, he licked his lips to moisten them before he spoke. He tasted the metal tang of his blood, but he tried not to grimace. "Please my lord, have mercy. My family has served you for many generations. We have worked the mines non-stop in honor of your cause."

"Excuses!"the voice spat, "You plot against your gods! Lord Ra has allowed your insolence for many seasons because it amused him. However, I do not tolerate impudence."

Slowly, the man lifted his eyes to meet those of his accuser. He stared into a pair of blue eyes that showed many more seasons than the face that held them. "Please..."

The woman smiled, a cruel twist of her lips at the misery of her captive. "You, and you family, are no longer needed by your gods." She motioned to the armor clad guards standing on either side of the man. As she turned to leave, they grabbed the man by his shoulders and drug him to his feet. He gasped at the harsh treatment, but did not remove his eyes from his captor. "Please," he said in a desperate voice, "Kill me if you will, but spare my family." He stared at the richly clothed form that was walking away, as if looking for some sign of a heart, of kindness. "They did nothing wrong. They do not deserve this." He almost fell again to his knees, but the strong armed Jaffa held him up.

When the woman did not stop, he hung his head, defeated. He had tried to free his family from the cruel slavery that was forced upon them. He had really tried. But how could he have even thought that he could deceive a god? He was a fool. He knew that now, at the end. He only wished that his wife and children did not have to pay for his failure.

"Why?"

The voice caught him off guard, and he lifted his head to look up sharply. That set another wave of stars across his vision, but he pushed the pain aside. The woman had stopped and turned. She was now looking at him, a disdainful expression crossing her fair features. She approached him slowly, a cat stalking a mouse that was trapped in a corner. "Why would you beg for their lives? You will be dead, so what matters it if they live or die?"

He hung his head again. "It is a shame," he said slowly, but in a strong voice, "That the goddess does not know love."

A shadow fell over him a moment before a strong hand seized a fist full of his hair and forced his gaze up. He once again met the cold gaze, and shuddered as they glowed with a haunting white light.

"Your "love" has done nothing to prevent your fate." The woman said, her voice distorted in the strange speech of the gods. She looked down at him for another moment before lifting her right hand. The captive's new found audacity failed him, for he began trembling at the sight of the gold bands encompassing her wrist and hand. She took satisfaction at this, and raised her hand slowly before settling it over his forehead. She concentrated, and the bands came to life. Light enveloped her wrist and hand, beautiful in appearance, but deadly in substance.

The light filled his eyes, and the brightness outshone any he had ever seen. The blinding light turned into a gripping pain that took his breath away and paralyzed him in it intensity. He tried to fight, but the Jaffa had unyielding grips. He tried to scream, but his voice failed him. He tried to do anything, but his body no longer answered to his commands. Finally, he just tried to let go, to give in to the darkness that had tried to take him but moments earlier. Even that betrayed him though as the light sliced through his consciousness, keeping him in its grasp_. So this is "death"_, he thought. The pain was now so intense that it transcended feeling. He realized that the pain was not gone, he just could no longer feel his body_. I have lived a good life_. He tried to find comfort in that, but every time, the saddened faces of his family leapt into his fading mind. The thought of this robbed him of his peace, and he was left feeling numb and alone.

The woman watched the face in front of her contort in pain. Though she had never been the victim of the golden bands, she had seen enough of its victims to trust in its effectiveness. Sometimes though, she wished that it was quicker. A strong mind could withstand the force for several minutes. They always gave in to their fates in the end, but they struggled in agony for far longer than was needed. This one did not appear strong though, so his end should be mercifully swift.

"Spare them... please..." It was a whisper, almost too soft to hear. But she did hear it, and that was enough to break her concentration. The glow of the bands faded almost immediately, and the prisoner slumped against the Jaffa holding him.

"What is wrong...Lady Sekhmet?" One of the Jaffa asked at her strange expression. He, as well as his partner, had apparently missed to voice. Had she even heard it? She questioned her memories as she turned from the guards. She cast one last look at the prisoner. She had stopped, but not soon enough. He most likely would not survive another hour. Still...

"Take him back to his cell." She said, "I may have need for him later."

The guards bowed their heads to her before dragging their heavy burden from her presence.

Alone at last, Sekhmet walked slowly to one of the gigantic windows that encircled the room she was in. These windows allowed the bright light of the day to bathe the room in its radiance. From her vantage point, high above the surface, she could see the desert wasteland of Abydos. Sand was the only thing that could be glimpsed for as far as the eyes could see. However, if she strained her vision, she could just barely make out a dark shadow in the distance. This was the new city of the slaves, recently erected to house the people of the Tauri. They were being brought through the Chappa-ai, the Stargate, to work the gigantic naquada mines of the planet. She could not feel the heat of the planet from inside the ship where she was; however, she knew it to be blistering in its intensity. Slaves were being brought by the hundreds through the Stargate, yet she did not really think that any mere human would be able to survive the unforgiving atmosphere of Abydos. Nature was more powerful than any "god" could claim to be, and the planet would not be near as willing to part with its treasures as the Goa"uld wished it. Ra was a fool to think that he could mine the planet of its precious ore.

She stopped herself in the middle of her blasphemous thought. Ra was her master, and she was his Eye. "The Eye of Ra" was her nickname among the system lords, "Sekhmet the Destroyer" among Ra"s servants. Her mantle was to ensure Ra"s absolute control over his territory. There was no clear way by which she was to fulfill this purpose, only that it be done thoroughly. And so, her duties ranged from killing one stray servant, to genocide and the complete destruction of any civilization who did not bow to his will. At first, this responsibility was an honor, for even though his First Prime was his official second in command, all knew and feared her as Ra"s right hand.

However, as of late, she had grown tired of the sometimes meaningless bloodshed. The prisoner that had just been taken from the room was only one of the countless examples of this fact. The man was a simple slave. He and his family were among the latest to be brought through the Stargate. He had attempted to fight the Jaffa that led him, trying instead to incite some type of uprising. For that, he would die. Yet, as he faced his death but moments before, he pleaded for the lives of his family. Would she be so altruistic, if faced with the same fate? No. That was a simple answer. She had not risen in rank as she did by caring for anyone save herself. And so, she held more power than anyone in Ra's system. And yet, she was alone. That fact bothered her much more than she cared to admit.

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So, What do you think?

I know that wasn't a stupid place to stop the story, but it really is the only reasonable break that I could find.

Please Review! (Flames are welcome, as long as you're honest!)

Oh, yeah, If anyone can tell me what that ribbon devise thingy that the Goa'uld

And, little note, when my document loaded, the wonderful system at decided to replace all of my punctuation with question marks. I think I caught them all, but I may have missed one or two.


	2. Chapter 2

Yay!!! I got reviews! And nice ones too! Thank you all that reviewed.

I only hope that you will forgive me when I tell you that (ducks behind computer chair) This is the last that I ever wrote on this story. (sheepish grin)

But, if I get more encouraging reviews, I promise I will delve into the frightening place that is my imagination and try and remember just where this story was going. You will have to have patience though so I can write it.

Now, on to chapter 2!

Disclaimer: **Don't own it! Stop bugging me! GAH ! **(stomps off into corner where she cries because she does not own Stargate)

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Later that evening, Sekmet summoned the prisoner to her chambers. She ordered the Jaffa to leave them as she stood before the man she had tried to kill.

In all honesty, he had endured the ordeal much better than she had expected. He was still a little shaky; however, he managed to stand with no support. She had to applaud his resilience for that.

He tried to meet her gaze, another admirable feat, yet his eyes would soon fall from hers. For her part, she watched him appraisingly, much like a farmer judging the value of newly acquired livestock. But that was all humans were, right? Livestock, slaves, beasts of burden, hosts; call them what you may, the creatures of the Tauri would always bow to the will of their masters. Thus was the role of an inferior race.

The slave had begun trembling under her scrutiny, either from fear or exhaustion. Sekhmet knew not, and cared not which. In the corner of her mind, she wondered if he still would consider his family first the next time that he faced death. It was a small, nagging curiosity that soon blossomed in her mind. Rivaling it was her annoyance at caring, but she had to admit that the loyalty of this creature intrigued her.

So, she decided to give in to her curiosity and incite a reaction from the human.

"Your family is dead. They have been killed for your insolence." Before speaking, she had concentrated on his face. She wanted to see his emotion as closely as possible. That proved to be unnecessary however. For his reaction was too quick to gauge.

She had expected tears, or shock. Also, she thought he would begin to beg for his life, and those of the remaining humans. Instead, the slave lunged forward, much quicker than she would have ever thought possible. He tackled her, his full weight slamming into her, knocking the breath from her lungs. Their momentum continued as the two fell backwards roughly to the polished marble floor. Sekhmet fought to regain her feet, but the slave wrapped his calloused hands around her neck with an infuriated cry.

"Monster!" he yelled as he squeezed her airway shut. Sekhmet felt her host's body shudder as it was deprived of precious oxygen. Panicked, she raised her right hand and grasped the man's forehead. She thanked small miracles that she had not removed the ribbon devise, for it glowed to life the moment she concentrated.

The slave, although driven by his rage, was caught in its light once more. His grip on Sekhmet's throat loosened slightly, and Sekhmet used the opportunity to push his weight off of her as she dragged in breath after breath of air. She was startled to the point that her control of the ribbon devise was shaky at best, so she made certain he was at least incapacitated before ceasing. In all actuality however, she could maintain concentration no more.

And so, the master and the slave both lay panting side by side on the ground. Each one was wary of the other, but each was unable to move and do anything about it.

Sekhmet regained her composure slowly, and pushed her self into a sitting position. She eyed the slave cautiously. She had expected so many reactions of sadness, but he had surprised her by attacking. Such passion! Did he not care that his fate was now truly sealed. She could kill him now, _should_ kill him now.

"You are dead now, do you realize this?" She stated evenly, fighting to keep her voice from shaking.

He lay on his side with his eyes closed. "I am already dead." He said slowly. Sekhmet was shocked to see a tear streak down his dirty face. "I died the moment the blood of my family flowed free."

"You could live still, slave. Carry on in the mines with the rest of your people."

"As a slave?"

"Is not a live slave better than a dead fool?" Sekhmet asked.

"I will not live in slavery to the monsters who killed my family. Kill me now, so that I may rejoin my children after death. If you do not," He warned, opening his eyes for the first time and staring into her own, "Then I swear now that I will not stop until I have killed every one of you."

Loyalty. He spoke utter nonsense at believing he could kill all Goa'uld, yet his loyalty to his family moved something in Sekhmet. She at once cursed and nurtured this new found feeling. Perhaps it was some stirring echo of the one whose body she now possessed. The mind of this host should long be dead, yet something of it may remain. It struck Sekhmet that she did not know the name of the human she had entered. She had never thought of "it" as a "she", only as a vessel, much like the ship she now stood in. Now however, she could not ignore that fact that this host had had a family, just like the slave she was now facing. The host had had a mother and a father, perhaps a mate, maybe even children. Now that she considered it, the memories of the host leapt forward, filling her mind with visions of a husband and two small children huddled around a tiny flame in a small hut. Their dwellings were not lavish, but they were happy. It was home.

She wondered what had become of them, but then realized that this host had been taken centuries ago. All of the family was long since dead, and only her descendants, if any, remained.

This thought saddened Sekhmet, and she silently apologized to the host for destroying her life. There was no answer in her mind, but she had not really expected one. Centuries of the sarcophagus had kept this body young, healthy, and strong; however, the price paid by the mind of the host was grave. Nothing remained of the original woman, save for the few tattered memories of a time long mourned and forgotten. Sekhmet tried with all of her might, yet she still could not bring into recollection the name of her host. This saddened, frustrated, and ashamed Sekhmet. For the first time in her long existence, she was sickened by the parasitic ways of her kind. She was disgusted with herself, and she wanted no more than to leave this place.

Sekhmet did not know what it was exactly, but she could not ignore this feeling now that it had been unleashed. She looked up to find the slave watching her curiously. She met his gaze, and tried to hide the embarrassed redness that had come to her cheeks. She felt ashamed at her actions against him, and struggled to find the words to say.

Finally she stood, "Come with me. Can you walk?"

"To where?" He asked suspiciously as he fought to pull himself to his feet.

"To your family."

The man stiffened noticeably, "Then I shall meet my death."

Sekhmet tried to smile, but it felt forced, "If you did, then your family would miss you."

"What do you mean?" He asked. He tried to take a step, but his legs buckled beneath him and he stumbled forward. In a moment that surprised them both, Sekhmet rushed forward and steadied him. For a moment neither spoke, but Sekhmet had to break the silence.

"I lied to you." She said lowering her eyes, "Your family yet lives. One day I will ask for your forgiveness, but for now, I will try and get you to them."

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That's all for now, but I promise to try and update soon!

Please Review!


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